The Timekeepers
by xZarkko
Summary: Bitter enemies turned brothers in arms, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy enact a desperate plan to fix their war-torn past. They succeed, but it has unintended consequences. There is a reason time-travel is forbidden. Inspired by Case13's Reload. Warning : Intense Violence. Language. Intense Sexuality.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hey everybody! xZarkko here! Okay so this was an idea that popped into my head while reading an excellent Naruto fic called _Reload_ by Case13. Check it out if you haven't already, it's pretty awesome. I'm using the same idea of a time loop, just in the Harry Potter universe instead of the Naruto one. Now, this is something I just sorta did for fun, so depending on whether or not you guys like it, I may or may not get serious about it. I've only written two one-shots before, so this will be my first multi-chapter fic. I don't know how often I'll be able to update but I'll try for at least once a month. This is of course assuming that you guys even like it. So, in the words of the immortal 10th Doctor...ALLONS-Y!**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all things related are property of JK Rowling. I'm just playing in the sandbox.

Chapter 1 : **Here We Go Again**

Harry Potter was having an unusually restful night. No nightmares, no tossing and turning and no waking up screaming. For this, Ron Weasley was extremely grateful.

Harry had already been asleep when the rest of the fourth year boys had crawled into bed, he had been complaining of a headache and Ron had feared it was a prelude to more Voldemort infested dreams for his best friend. It seems he had been worried for nothing.

And so, with a smile, the youngest Weasley male settled down for a long nights sleep, feeling as though tomorrow would be a rather good day. Ah, ignorance is bliss.

* * *

Hermione Granger tapped her foot irritably. Where were they? It was so like Ron and Harry to sleep so late on the first day! Didn't they care about their education at all? Just as she was preparing to march up to their dormitory and drag them down, the door opened and they shuffled out.

Ron came down the stairs first, a queer look on his face. She found out why a second later when Harry followed. There was something...off, about the Potter heir today. His uniform was thrown on haphazardly, and it seemed he hadn't bothered to wear the full ensemble. He was missing both the robe and the jumper. His shirt was untucked, the sleeves were pushed up to his elbows and the top several buttons were undone, showing surprisingly tan skin. His tie was hanging loose around his neck. His pants were wrinkled and he was completely barefoot.

As she looked up at his face she noticed that his glasses were perched slightly lower on his nose and his hair was wilder than usual, adding to his rather bedraggled look. And it actually worked, she noticed as her cheeks heated up, Harry looked almost older. It wasn't very noticeable, a small increase in height, his shoulders a little broader. She could see it in his face though. It was...rougher. Less baby fat and more rugged lines. As if wanting to prove her right, Harry yawned and reached up to scratch at stubble on his chin. Stubble! He was fourteen, he shouldn't have stubble! He shouldn't have this...this rugged appeal!

Ron apparently didn't think so either, if the look on his face was any indication. He probably hadn't made the observations that she had, but he was smart enough to realize that something was just...off, about Harry today.

Deciding to get some answers, Hermione spoke, "Harry?" The Potter scion turned his gaze to her and her question suddenly became stuck in her throat. His eyes were brighter, shining with an almost luminescent green light. He gazed at her with this hunger, this longing. His eyes searched her face, as if memorizing every line and curve. It was both unnerving and incredibly attractive, and she floundered beneath his look.

Eventually realizing that she was going to look like a fool if she stood there with her mouth open any longer, she hesitantly spoke, "You're missing your shoes?" He blinked and then grinned at her," Are you asking me or telling me?" Good lord it was in his voice too. No longer the high and cracking voice of a teenager, his voice was a low, smooth baritone. He sounded both amused and...smug? Taking a breath and steadying her voice she said "Telling you." Harry just grinned wider and then cast a glance down at his uncovered feet. "Would you look at that?" he said "I am missing my shoes." He looked back up and just smiled wider, looking as if she just made his day. "Oh well" he shrugged. He turned on his heel and strode towards the porthole, calling over his shoulder as he did, "Come along then, breakfast time!"

* * *

The walk down to the Great Hall was quiet. The only sound was Harry's feet slapping against the ground and the tune he was humming under his breath.

This, more than anything, alarmed Ron. Harry didn't hum. He'd never even heard him try to do anything remotely similar. Hell, he knew from the time Seamus snuck a bottle of Odgen's Finest into the dorm, that Harry couldn't carry a tune to save his life. But there he was, sauntering down the hall, eyes half lidded and humming a happy little ditty.

To be honest, Ron was scared shitless. He had half a mind to go running to Dumbledore and tell him that Harry was possessed by Voldemort or something. What stopped him was, ironically, Harry himself. In the common room, when he had looked at Hermione. It had been filled with such naked want. With this powerful need for her that it had felt like he was intruding on something private. There was no way the blood purist Dark Lord would ever look at a lowly muggleborn like that. Not in a million years.

He shared an uneasy glance with Hermione, who looked just as worried as he was, if not more so. They arrived at the Great Hall and Ron groaned at seeing the closed doors. Breakfast had already started, so everyone was going to stare when they walked in. Harry was going to hate that. But he didn't seem to care. Quite the opposite, in fact. He simply stepped up to doors and pushed them open, totally uncaring to the loud noise. Or the sudden lack of noise from within.

Ron blinked in confusion, he could have sworn that Harry's hands had never actually touched the doors, but he was forced to abandon that thought as the entirety of the student body stared at them. And then Harry. And then Harry's feet. Harry just smiled wider. "Hello!" he called. The students collectively stared. Dumbledore smiled from his high chair "Good morning, Mr. Potter."

"Good morning, Headmaster." Harry parroted.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Like a satisfied hooker." Harry chirped.

There was silence across the hall. Even Dumbledore looked stunned. A snort of amusement drew eyes to the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy, looking immaculate as ever, was perched with a book. He looked up to see the hall staring at him in amazement. "What?" he defended "It was funny." The hall looked at him like he was crazy. Harry just grinned.

"Mister Potter!" Professor McGonagall glared at him from her seat at the head table. "Ten points from Gryffindor! That sort of language will not be tolerated!" Harry didn't seem at all bothered about the point deduction. Nor about McGonagalls fury. "Sorry Minnie." He called out, eliciting gasps from the student body. Was he trying to get himself killed?

McGonagall huffed. "That's Proffessor to you, Mr. Potter." Harry smiled apologetically and gave a small bow. "Of course. Begging your pardon, Professor Minnie." The headmaster smiled and stayed McGonagalls angry retort with a calm hand and a gentle smile, apparently he found the entire thing amusing.

"Well" he announced "back to your meals everyone! Class schedules will be handed out in a moment." The students did as they were told and the golden trio made their way to the Gryffindor table. Except of course, for Harry. Ron and Hermione watched, stunned, as the Boy-Who-Lived swaggered over to the the Slytherin table and sat down across from Draco Malfoy.

* * *

Harry's smile slid of his face as he sat down. He ignored the glares of the other Slytherins and stared at Malfoy. For a moment the whole table was silent, waiting for Malfoy to react. Finally, with a sigh, he did so. He lowered the book. "What?" he asked irritably. Harry stared for a moment, then finally he grinned and asked "Why a highway?" Draco glared "Fuck you, I was drunk." They stared at each other for a second before equal grins spread across their faces.

"It's damn good to see you Draco." Harry laughed. Draco smiled "It's only been a day for me."

"Not for me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Nearly twenty years."

Draco raised an eyebrow "That long? With the way things were falling apart when I left I figured we were on track for World War III."

"We were."

Draco grimaced "So who hit first? Russia or the Americans?"

Harry snorted "Who do you think?"

"Bloody yanks."

Harry just 'hmmd'. At this point the table had tuned them out, having long since lost track. The hall muttered around them and Ron and Hermione had settled down at the Gryffindor table and were sending worried looks their way.

"So how'd you go?" Draco asked. Harry frowned as a crisp memory came to the forefront of his mind.

_Gunfire. Explosions. Pain. Cold. Snow falling. Wetness seeping through his clothes. Warmth spreading across his chest. Blood in his mouth. He was dying. Again. A figure above him. Bushy hair and eyes of honey. "Harry! Harry please! Don't die! Stay with me, please! I love you! Please don't go!" Fading. Cold in his bones. Ice beneath his skin. I'm sorry._

Harry blinked and found Draco staring at him, concern in his gaze. "Badly." Harry answered finally. Draco frowned "Sorry."

"Yeah, me too." Silence fell for a moment, though it wasn't uncomfortable. It never was. "So," Harry started loading up a plate, "What loop are we on?" Draco's fingers drummed on the table as he counted in his head. "Four hundred and thirty-seven." He said finally. Harry whistled. "Damn, we're getting old."

* * *

Loops. That's what they called them, these...'resets'. In the beginning, when they had still been enemies and Voldemort had been the greatest evil either of them had seen, they would never have dreamed of anything like this. But the Second Blood War turned out to be much worse than the first. The Dark Lord's time as a shade had left him less than sane. So when he had reclaimed his mantle he waged a war that was less politics and more insane ravings and genocide.

When he began slaughtering his own people for fun, many of them cut their losses and joined the 'Light Side'. They were welcomed with open arms, desperate as the light had become to stem the tide of Voldemort's madness. At the time, the leadership of the light was split between Minister of Magic Amelia Bones, and the Potter heir who had come to lead the Order of the Pheonix after Dumbledore's murder.

After a plan of Draco's design that left Voldemort's inner circle four members lighter, he and Harry began working closely together, eventually becoming both friends and leaders of the light. They became the star team of the war, combining Draco's intellectual prowess with Harry's pure magical ability.

And after three long decades, their combined might brought the Dark Lord to his knees, and ended the Second Blood War. Unfortunately there was no one left to celebrate. Voldemort had butchered tens of thousands and left a magical population to small to sustain itself.

Then, one night after the war, Draco showed up at Harry's house in the middle of the night. He had thought up an insane plan to go back in time and fix it all. It was impossible and completly foolhardy. It was a plan that was more likely to kill them both than to actually work. Draco thought it was pure brilliance. So did Harry. So after long preparation and some haggling with several minor gods, they threw themselves into a vortex of time and magic with a half baked plan to save the magical world. _And it worked!_

Somehow, instead of ripping a hole in the fabric of the universe, they had actually made it back. Popped out right at the beginning of fourth year. That first loop had been rather straight forward.

_(__1. Don't tell anyone you're from the future _

_(2. Kill Voldemort_

_(3. Prevent mass genocide_

_(4. Try not to die along the way_

And for the most part that's exactly what they did. There were, of course, a few hiccups along the way but they did kill Voldemort and they did prevent mass genocide. After the war, they finally had a chance to live their lives. They became husbands, then fathers, and eventually grandfathers. They died old men, happy and content, surrounded by the people they loved.

_ And then they woke up._

There was a lot of anger at first. They were furious, thought they had been cheated. But upon contact with the eternal souls they had originally bargained with they found that the deity's had no recollection of them or their deal.

So then came sorrow. They would never see their families again. They had been deprived of an eternity with the people they loved. They were given instead, a cursed immortality. As the loops began to pass, despair turned to madness.

Why them? Hadn't they given enough? Hadn't they lost enough? Or was this just punishment. Punishment for their hubris in thinking they could rewrite the universe without consequence? It didn't matter.

Loops passed them by as they searched desperately for an end. They delved into magic as dark as it was ancient, with no luck. They revived whole schools of magic that had been forever lost. Blood Magic. Soul Magic. Necromancy. None of it worked. They were stuck.

Eventually the madness lost it's swell, retreating to the backs of their minds, and Harry and Draco stopped. For the first time they simply stopped and looked around. It took a long while, hundreds of years in fact, but they were eventually able to reconcile with their accursed existence. They began to do their best to enjoy the lives they lived, and at times they even found that they almost didn't mind the loops.

They learned that no matter where or how they died, they would always wake at the beginning of fourth year. It didn't matter if they died like Harry, on a frozen battlefield. Or like Draco, drunkenly apparating into oncoming traffic. And they always came back together. Even if one had lived fifty more years in the previous loop, they always woke at the same time. As a result, neither of them was quite sure who was older, though it was the subject of much debate and drunken speculation.

* * *

"Potter." The oily voice from behind him broke Harry from his musings. He craned his head back and found himself looking up at the hooked nose of one of his least favorite people. Harry had lived hundreds of lifetimes and seen a dozen different sides to everybody. But not Severus Snape. No, Snape was always an asshole. Nonetheless, Harry smiled and greeted him cheerfully. Who knows, maybe this time would be different?

"'Ello Proffessor!" Snape scowled down at him with barely disguised contempt. Eh, guess that's a no on the change. Still, it was kind of nice to have a constant.

"You are at the wrong table, Potter." he sneered. Harry blinked and took a look at the table and the Slytherins who were all, save for Draco, waiting eagerly to see Snape punish him. Then he looked back up at Snape and furrowed his brow.

"Are you sure?" He questioned. Snape's scowl stretched even further.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek! Now go back to your table before I decide to give detention as well!"

Harry sighed dramatically. "Ah well, I suppose I should go. It looks like McGonagall is handing out schedules and I'd hate to get even more on her badside. See ya, Drake." The aforementioned Malfoy just nodded, having long since gone back to his book. With a sudden grin, Harry turned to the girl sitting next to him and; before she could react, swooped in and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Bye, Daph!" With a smile at her gobsmacked expression, he got up and sauntered over to the Gryffindor table, where the other two thirds of the Golden Trio began questioning him in earnest.

Malfoy peered over his book to cast an amused glance at the stunned witch his insane friend had just kissed. Daphne Greengrass looked like Voldemort himself had just proposed. Then again, he didn't think she'd so much as said a word to Harry before. At least not yet. "I think he likes you." He said glibly. He was gentlemanly enough not to comment on her flushed cheeks. With a small grin he concentrated back on his book with a last parting thought. _'Here we go again.'_

* * *

**Alright! That's chapter 1 finished. I know it's short but it is just the first chapter. I want to see if you guys are even interested before I get too far. So let me know! Love it or Hate it, drop a review and let me know! If you have any questions feel free to ask those in reviews as well, I'll do my best to answer them all. **

**So, until next time! This is xZarkko, signing off!**

**Edit 7/7/13 : Did some minor revising. Fixed some spelling and grammar mistakes. Chapter 2 is about 50% done. Should be out within the week. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everybody! xZarkko here with the second chapter of The Timekeepers! First of all, I just want to give a huge thank you to everybody who reviewed and put my story on alert or on your favorites. Thank you so much! It was you guys who inspired me to get this chapter out as fast as I did. I'm so glad you guys are liking my story. I've worked hard on it and I like nothing more than for my work to be appreciated. I've got more to say, but that can wait until after you've read. So, without further adieu, I give you The Timekeepers Chapter 2! **

_Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. I'm just making an ass of myself in her universe. The song 'Rain' is owned by Hollywood Undead._

Chapter 2: **Shut Up, Harry**

Minerva McGonagall smiled to herself as she watched over her fourth year students. She truly did love teaching. In her humble opinion, there was no greater gift than the chance to impart her knowledge to the next generation. To prepare them for the world ahead.

This year's class was one of her brightest in several years. At the moment, she watched over a mixture of Slytherins and her own Gryffindors. In this class in particular there were many stand outs. People like Hermione Granger, The Brightest Witch of Her Age, and Daphne Greengrass, The Ice Queen. Both girls were exceptional students the likes of which Hogwarts usually only saw once a generation.

Then, of course, she had other exceptional students as well. She cast her eyes to the back of the room where two interesting young men lounged next to each other. On the left, Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin Prince. Minerva had never thought much of the Malfoy heir. Indeed, she had always despised his arrogant attitude and bigotry against other students. Recently, however, she'd had her opinion changed rather abruptly by Draco's miraculous attitude adjustment. The boy no longer preened himself in front of his peers. He no longer hurled insults at those he thought below him(everybody). Instead he seemed to have withdrawn slightly.

He preferred not to speak up in class, only keeping his head down and getting his work done quickly and quietly. When he was done he descended into either a book or a nap. His school work had risen significantly as well. He'd never done badly, Lucius would never allow it, but he'd never been particularly focused either. But in just a few weeks he now sat comfortably at 3rd in the class. She'd also heard on the Hogwarts grapevine that he had relinquished his position of power among the Slytherins. It seemed young Draco had grown tired of the power plays in Slytherin house. He still talked with his housemates, was even rather cheerful instead of constantly walking around with a stick up his ass, but he seemed to treat them all as little more than acquaintances. In fact, the only friend he seemed to have was his former rival, the Potter heir. Which brought her attention to the boy sitting on Draco's left.

Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived. He had once been one of her very favorite students. While not very academically impressive, he'd been an exceptionally kind boy. Shy but also willing to stand up for his friends and what was right. However, his personality had taken a radical u-turn in the past several weeks. Where he was once shy, he was now incredibly outspoken. He had charm and charisma to spare. He walked with confidence and grace, looking incredibly comfortable in his own skin. He showed no trace of the awkward shuffling of his earlier years. Where he was once adorably ignorant of the opposite sex, he now seemed to share his father's affinity with them. The most obvious change, however, was that he seemed to have lost his goddamn mind. Some of the things he said made no sense at all. At least not to anyone other himself and Draco.

He also now had a habit of doing things that were stupidly dangerous to himself and others with no thought to the potential consequences. Why, the other day at lunch he had tried to heat his soup with wandless magic. Instead, he had somehow forced Ron Weasley to spontaneously combust. This wasn't really a surprise to anybody. Over the past several weeks Ron had been on the receiving end of quite a few of Harry's questionable "experiments". Most people thought it was horrific, the things Ron went through. Harry just thought it was funny. Yes, Harry Potter had gone from one of her favorite people to the top of her shit list.

Academically the situation couldn't be more different. The boys skill and grades had skyrocketed. Where he used to be ranked around the middle of the class, he was now just below Draco at 4th. His practical grades were simply astounding! There didn't seem to be a spell the boy couldn't perfect after a few tries. He showed skill with types of magic she didn't know he had even learned. And still she got the feeling that he and Draco were both holding back.

At the moment they were the only ones to have completed the days assignment. She was having the class transfigure lumps of coal into marble. She was giving extra if they could shape the marble into something. Draco had been done first. He had crafted a detailed bust of Salazar Slytherin and then promptly fell asleep on his desk. Harry had finished next, forming a very intimately detailed statuette of a scantily clad woman. He had gone a step futher and animated the statue, which was now dancing seductively and blowing kisses at the boys in the class. Harry himself was being unusually quiet. He had tilted his chair back on it's back legs and crossed his feet on his desk. He let his head hang back and closed his eyes. He twirled his wand absentmindedly in his right hand.

She sighed, wondering what could have possibly brought on this change in them. Well, she just hoped that they didn't cause too much trouble when the other schools arrived in two weeks. She checked the time and stood, clearing her throat...

* * *

"Alright class, that's it for today!" Harry stopped twirling his wand and opened his eyes as McGonagall dismissed them. "Don't worry if you didn't get it today, we'll pick it up on Monday." The class noticeably brightened at the inadvertent reminder of the years very first Hogsmeade visit the next day. He reached over and flicked Draco behind the ear. "Time to get up, Drake." The Malfoy heir grumbled but opened his eyes obligingly. He sat up and stretched with a yawn.

Harry stood as the class began gathering their things for lunch. He looked down at his statuette. "Now what shall I do with you?" The marble woman pouted cutely and pressed a finger to her bottom lip. "Oh fine." Harry grinned, "You can come." He held out his hand. The little figurine smiled widely and scampered up his arm to sit on his shoulder. Draco cast him an amused look as people began filing out.

"What? You know I can't say no to a pretty woman."

Draco smiled slyly as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch. "Unless she's Russian."

"Hey! That was over a hundred years ago! Will you let it go?"

"Dude, you slept with the daughter of the Russian president and then said 'no' when she asked you to marry her. You nearly caused a war all on your own!"

"But I didn't want to marry her! She was hot but damn she was crazy!"

Draco laughed. "There are times when you just have to take one for the team."

"I know." Harry nodded, "But that wasn't one of them." The woman on his shoulder nodded in agreement. "See! At least somebody agrees with me." He reached up with a finger and massaged the figure's throat. She smiled and closed her eyes, looking like she'd be purring if she could.

* * *

They sat down at their usual spot at they Slytherin table. "Hey Daph!"

"Fuck off, Potter." She growled. Harry just smiled.

"Are you still mad? It was just one little kiss." If looks could kill, Harry would be ashes.

"So." Draco started, "Hogsmeade is tomorrow."

Harry nodded as he tucked in to his sandwich. "So?"

Draco sighed "So we can use this time to take a little trip."

Harry raised an eyebrow and swallowed. "You're thinking Diagon?"

Malfoy nodded. "I've got to visit Gringotts and I was thinking you could pick up what you need for your little 'project'." Harry nodded and cast a glance at the disguised Death Eater at the head table. After the loops started Harry had quickly gotten tired of having to win the Triwizard Tournament over and over again. It was, of course, pathetically easy now, but it was still time he could be spending on something more important; like women or making things explode. The two time travelers had tried dozens of different ways to keep Harry from the tournament, but there was only one that was unfailing. After all, Barty could hardly put Harry into the tournament when he was dead, now could he?

"Potter." Daphne's voice cut into their conversation, "What is that?" Harry and Draco raised an eyebrow at her and followed her gaze to Harry's little figurine. She was curled up in the middle of the table and munching happily on a piece of bread. Feeling their eyes on her, she turned and smiled up at them. Draco blinked, "How accurate did you make her?" He asked.  
Harry shrugged, "As accurate as I could." He said. Draco raised an eyebrow. Harry had spent several loops as a doctor and as a result, had an extensive knowledge of human anatomy. He had been bored so he made her with a complete anatomy. Heart, lungs, stomach and intestines. She had it all. "I think she's great!" He said brightly, "I think I'll call her...Svetlana !"

Draco snorted. "After the president's daughter?"

"Yep!"

Daphne furrowed her brows. "She looks familiar." She said softly.

"She should." Harry said, "I modeled her after what I imagine you'll look like in a couple of years." That was a lie. Harry didn't have to imagine, after all. Daphne's mouth dropped open. Harry leaned in close, giving her his most charming grin and looking deep into her eyes. "I think I did a pretty good job." He whispered. Daphne blushed prettily and Harry grinned._ 'Oh yeah, still got it.'_ He thought. After a moment Daphne collected herself and closed her mouth. "It's...adequate." She said finally, turning back to her plate. She was still blushing, though. Harry turned back to Draco with a satisfied grin.  
Draco was still focused on the figurine. "Which animation matrix did you use?" he asked curiously.

"The one I made while we were in Hong Kong."

Draco frowned as he racked his memory. "When you got really drunk and added a bunch of experimental stuff to it?" he asked finally.

"Yup." Harry nodded.

"Didn't the Unspeakables confiscate that? Something about it being dangerous and unstable?"

"Please," Harry scoffed, "I know more about runic matrices than that whole department put together."

Draco shrugged, he couldn't really argue with that, it was true after all. "So what does it do?" he asked.

"I haven't the foggiest." Harry said lightly. "This is the first time I've actually used it."

Draco blinked. "You tested a potentially unstable runic matrix in a classroom full of children?" he asked incredulously.

Harry grimaced, "Now you sound like Croaker." He raised his voice to a mocking tone, "You can't use that here! You could hurt people! What are you doing? That's going to explode! Oh my god! You killed him!" Harry rolled his eyes, "I had everything under control, so quit whining."

Draco raised an eyebrow at the rant. "Feel better?" he asked sarcastically.

"Very much so." Harry nodded.

Draco just sighed. "So what did you put in it? The matrix, I mean."

Harry looked at him like he'd said something exceptionally stupid. "I don't know," he said slowly. "I was drunk."

Draco stared at him."You know, I'm not sure why I'm even surprised anymore." he said.

Meanwhile, the newly named Svetlana clambored up Harry's tie and slipped into his shirt pocket, settling down for a nap.

* * *

Harry hummed softly as he walked the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. The moonlight coming through the windows bathed the hallway in a seemingly ethereal light. He smiled to himself. He'd been all over the world and seen some truly unbelievable things. But to him, Hogwarts would always be the most magical place in the world. The simple beauty of the castle defied imagination.

He reached out with a hand and let his fingers trail against the wall. He took comfort in the familiar feeling of the stones. He'd never truly recovered from the madness of the early loops. At least not as completely as Draco had. Maybe it had to do with his upbringing. Or perhaps the stresses of his school years. Maybe it was because he had delved so deep into the oldest and darkest magics for so long. For whatever reason, Harry could still feel it. Like a song he could almost remember. The madness had never truly left him.

Hogwarts helped. Just the feel of cold stone beneath his hands. The warmth of a thousand years of residual magic nestled comfortably on his shoulders. Like a mother's embrace, it drove away the dark. It soothed the barking madness in his mind. He smiled to himself as he let his own magic leak into the air, mixing with the magic in the halls. She truly was a balm for his weary soul. He spent that night walking the halls, soaking in the moonlight and the magic. The sound of humming filled the halls.  
_'I don't mind. No, I don't mind. I don't mind the rain. The simple things and subtleties, they always stay the same. I don't mind, that I don't mind. No, I don't mind the rain. Like a widow's heart, we fall apart but never fade away. Fade away.'_

* * *

Harry cut through the throng of students headed to the carriages bound for Hogsmeade. He found Draco waiting for him at the entrance hall. He grinned at his friend. "Ready to go?"

"Of course." Draco smiled. They set off across the grounds at a leisurely pace, headed for the main gate. "What'd you tell Hermione and Weasley?" Draco asked. Harry grinned at the way he spoke of them. While he'd warmed up considerably to Hermione, the Malfoy heir had never really gotten along with Ron. "I told them I had a headache and I wasn't going with them."

"Think they bought it?"

Harry shrugged, "I doubt it, but it really doesn't matter."

"Fair enough."

The hustle of getting the students on the carriages would occupy the teachers, so they weren't worried about being stopped. Not that anyone really could. Harry took a deep breath as he walked, savoring the cold air. Scotland in October was bloody cold, but Harry had always been more comfortable in extreme cold than extreme heat. 'Not like Draco,' he thought as he cast a glance at his companion, 'poor bastard.' Draco hated the cold and he was dressed to show it, with a heavy winter robe over his shoulders and a thick green and silver scarf wrapped around his neck.

Harry was dressed much lighter. A grey sweater and blue jeans with a pair of well worn trainers. He had a maroon and gold scarf slung around his shoulders. "How long do you think you'll take in Gringotts?" he asked conversationally.

Draco shrugged, "Not too long, I should think." he said, "I'm mostly just setting up our account, getting ready for the harvest."

Harry bobbed his head in agreement. "When do you want to do that, by the way?"

Draco shrugged again, "Doesn't really matter does it? It's not like the basilisk is going anywhere. Before the year's end, at least."

Harry nodded as they came upon the gates. "Sounds good."

Draco waved his hand and the gates swung open before them and they passed through. Draco didn't even break stride, as soon as he passed the threshold of the gates he silently apparated. Harry grimaced, he'd never managed silent apparation, too much magic in him. It was why he couldn't floo straight either. He turned back towards Hogwarts and took in the sight of the castle. Rays of sunlight broke through the overcast skies and silhouetted the castle in a halo of light. It was beautiful.

He gazed fondly for a moment before heaving a sigh. "Well," he spoke seemingly to no one, "ready to go?" With a rustle of cloth, Svetlana stuck her head out of his pocket with a little blue scarf and hat on. She smiled at him and nodded affirmative. He grinned, "Then here we go!" With a soft 'pop' he was gone.

* * *

"Next!" Draco sighed as the line slowly trudged forward. He hated goblins. Upon arriving in Diagon, Draco and Harry marched over to Gringotts. Harry had to get a new key and withdraw some money, taking all of five freaking minutes. He left almost ten minutes ago, leaving Draco to suffer alone in this line. _'Bastard,'_ he thought sourly, _'he's probably having the time of his life right now, and I'm stuck in line behind a woman who smells like she owns a freaking cat zoo.'_ He glared at the dumpy woman in front of him, the overpowering scent of catnip and cat piss making him want to vomit.

"Next!" The woman waddled up to the counter and Draco sighed again. At least he was almost there. He just hoped this visit wouldn't be as bad some of his were. Hell, a few loops ago, he'd actually been killed here. He'd spent a loop learning Gobbledygook to see if he could use it to get in good with the goblins. He failed. Horribly. He'd gotten all of two words out before they had him pinned to the floor and arrested him. Apparently it was such a closely guarded secret that no human could legally learn it. Draco knew this of course, having stolen the information in the first place. Therefore, they charged him with espionage against the Goblin Kingdom and promptly had him beheaded. Draco had never forgiven them. Harry laughed about it for years, and still occasionally brought it up, just for shits and giggles.

"Next!" Finally! Draco stepped up to the counter and met the goblin's unimpressed stare with one of his own. "I need to open a new account in my name."

The goblin sneered at him. "I need a permission form signed by your guardian. Come back with one. Ne-!"

Draco slammed a piece of parchment down on the counter, cutting the goblin off. "I don't think so." he said lightly. "We're not done yet." The goblin glared hatefully at him and tore the form out of his hands. _'Yeah, fuck you too, buddy.'_ Draco thought. The goblins eyes carefully scanned the page, searching for any mistakes. There weren't any. Draco had forged it himself, after all. While Harry spent his time learning new and inventive ways to kill people, Draco was learning too. He was learning every skill he would need to lie, cheat, charm, steal, scam and bribe his way into, or out of, anything. So he was, among other things, a master forger. The goblins face twisted up into a hideous snarl as he found nothing wrong with the form, and Draco couldn't resist taking a shot. He leaned in close and smiled viciously. "Problem?" he asked. The goblin glared at him with pure malice and Draco felt warm and tingly all over. Today was a good day after all.

* * *

Draco practically skipped down the Gringotts steps, a smile etched on his face. There really was nothing better to brighten up your day than pissing of the goblins. He wasn't the only one to think so, if the staggering amount of Goblin Rebellions was to be believed. He checked his watch. 3:30. Time to go meet Harry. He jogged over to the Leaky Cauldron and waved to Tom the barkeep as he collapsed into a corner booth. Harry sauntered over a minute later, a brown paper bag in his hand and Svetlana perched on his shoulder. "Have fun?" he asked cheerfully as he sat down.

Draco grinned at his friend. "Of course. Are you all set?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, "I'll take care of Barty on Tuesday."

"Good."

"Yeah. And here, I got you something."

Draco watched as Harry pulled to vials of bright orange potion out of his bag and handed one to him. "How thoughtful. Thanks." He said. They toasted vials and then downed them both. The concoction was essentially a sterility potion. It insured that they wouldn't be able to have children until they took the counter potion. While they each usually found someone to spend their loop with, they had agreed not to have anymore children. It was too painful. After the loop they would see their wives again, they wouldn't remember, but they would still be there. But not their children. They had never really recovered from losing their original families, and it wasn't worth more pain. It didn't always work that way, of course. Draco glanced across the table at his friend, smiling and playing with Svetlana. Every hundred or so loops, Harry ended up with a kid. And it always broke him all over again when they were gone.

He was pulled from his musings as Tom stepped up to their table. "What can I get you boys?"

Draco smiled and pulled a wandless _Confundus_ over the man's eyes. "A bottle of firewhiskey please. Odgen's, if you have it." Tom gave him a dopey smile and took off back to the bar. He turned back to Harry, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Bad day?" he asked. Draco shook his head as Tom came back. "Just bad thoughts."

"Well, we've all got plenty of those." Harry smiled humorlessly.

Tom placed the bottle and two glasses on the table. "Here ya go, gents! Let me know if you need anything else." They thanked him as he left and Harry poured them each a healthy glass.

Harry raised his glass in salute. "To bad thoughts." he grinned.

Draco smiled and toasted. "To bad thoughts."

* * *

Draco and Harry giggled to themselves as they staggered up the Hogwarts lawn, leaning on each other for support. The moon was shadowed by clouds and they had only starlight to guide themselves, resulting in plenty of trips and spills, which only served to make them laugh harder. They had stayed at the Cauldron far longer than they should've. They each managed a bottle of firewhiskey and were going to head back for dinner, but then one of the night crowd challenged Harry to a drinking contest. Harry felt compelled to answer the challenge, no doubt due to the abundance of beautiful witches in attendance. And things pretty much snowballed from there. Four hours, three bottles and one bar fight later, they were stumbling back home, laughing and singing to themselves.

They got all of ten steps from the doors when they swung open to reveal Minerva McGonagall in a dressing gown and robe. And she was _pissed_. Neither of the boys noticed. "Minnie!" Harry called out, "My god! You look fantastic! Have you been working out?" Draco descended into giggles and McGonagall drew herself up. "HOW DARE YOU!" She thundered, "In all my years, I've never seen such a blatant disrespect for rules and propriety! You two should be ashamed!" The two stared in silence for a moment, and then Harry turned and roughly shoved Draco. "Yeah, Draco!" He shouted, "How dare you! You should be ashamed!"

Draco gaped. "ME?" He shouted incredulously. "You're the one who wanted to stay past curfew!" Draco adopted his best impersonation of Harry. "I'm gonna find a nice pair of tits to shove my face in, or my name isn't Harry Potter!"

Harry turned to a furious McGonagall. "Now, that was taken out of context." He tried to explain.

"ENOUGH!" McGonagall's shout echoed across the grounds and brought both boys to a halt. Her chest heaved as she took deep breaths, trying to quell her anger. "You're going to the hospital wing right now to get sobered up, and then we're going to discuss your punishments."  
When neither boy moved, she flicked her wand and set off a flash at their feet. "NOW!" She screamed. Harry and Draco yelped and scurried past her towards the hospital wing.

"Draco, is it just me, or is she kinda hot when she's mad?"

"Shut up, Harry."

* * *

**Whew! All right! Chapter 2 done! I hope you guys liked it. Nothing really major happened but there was some foreshadowing. Don't worry. I've got some pretty cool stuff planned for this fic. Now, the song is 'Rain' by Hollywood Undead. There's really no story significance to it. I was just listening to it when I wrote that scene and it just sorta fit. Also, I know there may be some spelling and grammatical errors. Just try to bear with me. I don't have a Beta so I'm doing this all on my own. Plus, it's two in the morning and I've been up since four. I'll get some sleep and come back to look it over with a fresh eye in the morning. I think I got most of 'em though. So! There we are! As always, please drop me a review! Love it or hate it! Praise or criticism! Urgent questions that just can't wait? Have at me! I love getting feedback! **

**This is xZarkko, signing off._ "Who the hell do you think I am!"_**

**__Edit 7/10/13 : Okay, it's morning and I've gone back over it. I fixed some spelling and grammar mistakes and restructured some stuff that sounded funky to me. Nothing major. I'm sure I didn't get it all though, so feel free to let me know if anything catches your eye. Also, I've got some real life stuff to sort out so chapter 3 won't be coming out quite as fast as 2 did. It should definitely be here for you guys before the end of the month though. You can check my profile for updates on progress. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everybody! xZarkko here with Chapter 3 of _The Timekeepers_! I want to give a huge thank you to all my readers! You guys kick serious ass! Especially everybody who reviewed. I also want to apologize. I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. My personal life got in the way and for some reason I started a second HP fanfic. (You'll see that up on my profile later.) I made my deadline though! Barely. Hehehe... Anyway! This is a bit of a filler chapter, but the plot is really gonna get moving next time, so don't worry. This one is a bit more somber that our previous chapters, but I tried to fit some humor in there too. There's more to say but that'll wait. So, please enjoy Chapter 3!**

* * *

Chapter 3: **Shatter**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the song 'Change' by Black Stone Cherry. I own nothing but my own deflated sense of self worth._

Harry stared in confusion, his drunken mind totally unable to comprehend what he was seeing. He had been heading to the hospital wing but had been sidetracked by a very pretty ghost floating down the hall. So naturally, he followed her, leaving Draco to head to hospital wing all by his lonesome.  
He'd followed her for the longest time, tripping and stumbling over himself as he went, and found himself outside of a door that he didn't recongnize. He'd blinked stupidly for a minute and then threw open the door.

And now he stared in bewilderment. The ghost wasn't in the room, but what had him stumped is what was. It stood in the center of the plain, windowless room. A velvet cloth covered most of it, but had slipped enough to show a single word ingraved along the top.

Erised.

_'What the fuck,'_ Harry thought,_ 'Dumbledore said he destroyed it!'_ And Harry believed him too. After all, in over four hundred loops, he'd never seen the damn thing again. Until now. Unbidden, his feet carried him forward, towards the mirror. A voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like his first wife was shouting at him, pleading with him to turn around. He wouldn't like what he found under that cloth. He ignored her.

He reached up to grip the cloth, and in one fluid motion he pulled it off.

Harry stared at his hearts most inner desire. A shaking hand came up to rest on the cold surface of the mirror. I'm so sorry.

* * *

Hermione was the only one in the common room when Harry came stumbling in. She was waiting for him to come back, worried sick. She jumped up when the portrait opened, but recoiled in shock from the overpowering stench of whiskey. "Harry! Have you been drink..." She stopped. Harry stood before her, obviously drunk, but she couldn't bring herself to lecture him. Because there was this look in his eye. This hollow, sorrow filled look. Like he was dying inside. "Oh, Harry." She breathed.

He smiled weakly at her. "Hey 'Mione." He slurred. He staggered forward a few steps and she rushed to him, helping him to the couch. He slumped into it, his head falling backwards with a sigh. She sat next to him and took his hand in hers. "Harry," she whispered, "are you all right?"

For a long moment he didn't answer. And then, "I miss them." Hermione frowned in confusion. "Miss who, Harry."

"I miss them so much." He croaked and Hermione saw tears in his eyes. "It hurts so bad."

Hermione was worried now. He was staring at the ceiling and she wasn't sure if he even knew she was there. His next words nearly stopped her heart.

"I wish it was over." He whispered. "I wish it was all over. I just want it to end. I want to rest."  
Hermione stared in horror. Did he just say what she thought he said? Did he want to die? "Harry." She spoke. "Harry look at me." He obliged, turning to her with eyes that broke her heart. She swallowed back tears and laid a hand on his cheek. "Harry, please don't talk like that." She whispered. He made a noise in the back of his throat and leaned into her hand, closing his eyes. "Harry, promise me you won't talk like that anymore." She said. He was quiet for a moment. "I promise." He said softly.

He slipped forward, resting his head on her shoulder,exhaustion finally taking it's toll. "You're soft." He mumbled, and despite the situation, Hermione felt her cheeks heat up. After several moments of quiet, she spoke hesitantly, "Harry?" There was no answer. He was already asleep.

* * *

_"Daddy!" Harry turned at the shout. "Hey-" A small black and green bundle slammed into him, sending them both back into the couch. He grunted and looked down, a little black haired girl in a green dress sat on his lap, her eyes cycling through a dozen different colors a minute._  
_"Daddyyou'llneverguesswhathappenedwewenttotheparka ndtherewasadoggyandhewassocuteand-"_

_Harry cut her off, pressing a finger to her lips. "Erin, honey you have to slow down." He chided her gently, "Daddy can't understand you when you talk that fast." Erin nodded with wide eyes. Harry heard a snicker from the doorway and looked up to see his wife leaning against the door frame. Her hair(purple today) fell in waves on either side of her heart shaped face. Amusment danced in cobalt eyes._

_Harry smiled at her and turned back to the girl in his lap. "Now, take a deep breath and say it more slowly this time." He said. He took his finger off her lips and she nodded. Erin sucked in an exaggerated breath and started again. "Mommy took me to the park after school and there was a doggy there and his name was Oscar and he was really cute and I wanted to know if I could pretty, pretty please get a doggy?"_

_Harry stared down at his daughter in amusment. He was wondering when she would ask for a pet, she was about that age, after all. Harry gave an exagerrated sigh, "I don't know," he said. "Having a dog is a pretty big responsibility. Do you think you're up to it?" She nodded vigorously._

_"You'll feed him?"_

_Nod._

_You'll walk him?"_

_Nod._

_"You'll clean up after him?"_

_Nod._

_Harry smiled, "Then of course you can." Erin's eyes grew wide and a grin split her face. "THANK YOU!" She shouted, throwing her arms around her father's neck. "I love you, Daddy." She murmured. Harry smiled and held her tighter. "I love you too, Princess."_

* * *

Harry woke with a quiet gasp. For a moment he was confused, his mind still in the dream. He sat up, the blanket falling to the side. Harry grimaced and hung his head as his hangover made itself known with a sharp lance of pain behind his eyes. He pulled up his Occlumency shields, blocking out most of the pain. He groaned and looked up, trying to figure out where he was, his memories were still a little fuzzy.

He was in the common room. It looked like it was early morning, soft light peeking through curtains and embers glowing beneath ash in the fireplace, smoke curling lazily into the air. He'd been sleeping on the couch...shit. Harry grimaced as he remembered his little 'episode' last night. He'd probably scared the hell out of Hermione.

Harry stood and stretched, receiving a satisfying 'pop' from his shook his head to clear the last of the cobwebs, frowning at the accompanying pain from his hangover. Suddenly, a memory crashed into his head. Harry screwed up his face for a second, and then he swore. Loudly. He was supposed to go to the hospital wing last night. McGonagall was going to be pissed. Fuck.

* * *

Draco whistled to himself as he trekked down to the Black Lake. Harry never made it to the hospital wing last night, having wandered off somewhere on the way there. McGonagall had thrown an absolute fit. Enough of one that she'd almost forgotten to give Draco a punishment. Almost. As it stood, he had three months of detention with Snape. So, in other words, he an extra free period everyday until January. He wasn't worried. Harry, on the other hand, was screwed. Draco let a smile cross his face. Oh yes, Harry was in for it.

Walking along the shore, he found his friend exactly where he expected to. Harry was sitting on the rocks on the edge of the lake. He had a basket of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with him and he was throwing them into the lake, where the squid's large, slimy tentacle would raise from the depths to slap down unto the water, dragging down his snack to be devoured.

Harry turned as he approached. "Morning Draco!" He greeted with a smile.

"Good morning to you too, sleep well?"

"Not particularly."

Draco raised an eyebrow as he sat down next to his friend. "Sorry to hear that."

Harry shrugged and tossed out another sandwich.

"I've got something for you." Draco said as he reached into his robe. He pulled out Svetlana, the little woman held by the scruff of her neck in between his forefinger and thumb. Her little eyes widened when she saw her creator and she reached out for him, straining comically against Draco's hold. Harry brightened considerably when he saw her. "Svetlana! There's my marble queen!" He said jovially. Draco dropped her into his hands and he brought her close to his face, the little woman rubbing her head against his cheek affectionately. Harry smiled and closed his eyes,oblivious to Draco's unsettled look.

It was strange for Draco sometimes, to see his friend so ... soft. This was a man that had once raised an army of his enemies loved ones from the dead just to demoralize them. This was a man who'd bound the Devil himself to his will. And yet, here he was, genuinely happy to be reunited with this animated doll. Like he said, it was strange. "Anyway," he interrupted their reunion, "McGonagall's looking for you."

Harry grimaced as he helped Svetlana onto his shoulder. "I'll bet she is."

Draco cast a curious look his way. "Where did you even end up last night.?" He asked.

Harry frowned and something flashed behind his eyes. "The common room." He said finally. "I scared the shit out of Hermione with my drunken rambling."

Draco nodded. Harry could say and do some pretty freaky shit when he was smashed. "Well," he said, "I think I know just what you need to keep your mind off of your impending McGonagall induced doom."

Harry blinked. "What?"

"Training!"

* * *

_"WE ARE, WE ARE! WAITING, WAITING! WE KEEP HEARING THAT CHANGE IS GONNA COME! IT'S BEEN TOO LONG, IF IT'S COMING! I WANNA KNOW WHERE THE CHANGE IS COMING FROM!"_

**CLANG!**

**CRASH!**

The boys separated, back-stepping and twirling their swords. Grins widened on their faces as they rushed forward, blades glinting in the artificial light. They came together with a clash of sparks and separated just as fast, spinning and clashing again. It was like a well choreographed dance, they spun around each other wielding blades that were little more than blurs. Harry scored a hit, his katana cutting deep into Draco's side. Draco leaped back and scowled, even as the Room of Requirement provided the necessary healing. Harry grinned. "Point for me."

They paused for a moment and then slammed together again with a shower of sparks as the music blared around them. Svetlana sat on a pillow on the other side of the room, watching with wide eyes.

_"WE'RE WAITING FOR A CHANGE!"_

* * *

Harry and Draco stepped out of the Room of Requirement, laughing and grinning, covered in sweat.

"You got rusty." Draco teased.

Harry pouted. "Yeah well, swords aren't much use when you're dodging bullets, are they?"

Draco shrugged. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. C'mon, it's lunch time."

Harry pulled away and shook his head. "Nope," he said, "I gotta go see Dumbledore about my punishment. Maybe I'll get a lighter sentence from him."

"You really think so?"

"It's worth a try isn't it?"

"Whatever. See you in class then."

* * *

Harry hummed to himself as he sauntered up to the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office. He stopped and stared for a moment. "I don't suppose you'll just open if I ask nicely, will you?"

"No, he won't." An amused voice spoke from down the hall.

Harry turned with a smile. "Albus!"

Dumbledore smiled down at him. "Hello Harry. What brings you to my office?"

Harry grinned and rocked back on his heels. "Oh you know, stuff, things, the usual shenanigans of teenage boys."

The Headmaster smiled merrily at him. "Then let's discuss it upstairs, shall we?"

"Of course." Harry nodded. He turned to the gargoyle. "Strawberries!" He chirped. With the sound of grinding stone, the gargoyle opened obligingly. Harry grinned and turned to the surprised Headmaster. "Rowena had a thing for strawberries." He explained. "Shall we?" Dumbledore recovered quickly and laughed. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you my boy?"

"I try, sir."

They made their way up the spiral stairs and into the office. Harry stepped immediately over to Fawkes' perch to greet the pheonix. "Ello Fawkes! How're you?" Fawkes trilled happily as Harry ran a hand over his plumage. Svetlana poke her head out of Harry's shirt pocket to look at the bird. She stretched out her hand and Fawkes lowered his head and let her run a cold hand over his beak. Her little marble eyes widened and her face twisted with delight.

Harry smiled and pulled her out of his pocket, setting her down on the perch. "Here, make friends." He walked over to sit in the chair opposite Dumbledore. "She's quite remarkable, your little friend." The Headmaster said. Harry grinned. "Yes she is."

"Lemon drop?"

"Of course."

For awhile the pair sat in silence, enjoying their candies and watching Svetlana and Fawkes play with each other. Harry smiled contentedly. For all his faults, Albus Dumbledore was still the closest thing Harry had ever had to a grandfather, and it was good to see the man again. Albus had never been the most reliable of sorts. He did what he thought was best, but what he thought was best was based on his own naive view of the world. _'I can't really blame him,'_ he mused._ 'He is still young, after all.'_

"So." Dumbledore broke him from his reverie. "You wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes." Harry said. "I'm sure you've heard of Draco and I's little trip?"

"I have. It was very irresponsible of you both. The world is a very dangerous place for two young wizards to wander unattended." He enunciated his point with a disappointed look cast behind his crooked spectacles.

Harry really couldn't help it if his responding smile was just a tad condescending. "Of course." He placated. "My apologies. I realize that, and it's why I came to see you. I was hoping you might see to giving me a second chance?" A benevolent smile spread across the Headmaster's face and Harry had to stifle his own grin.

Hook.

Line.

And sinker.

_'Really, old boy? Far too predictable.'_ Harry certainly wasn't going to complain though.

* * *

Harry descended from the office with a smile affixed to his face. When all was said and done, he received a weeks worth of detention with Professor Moody starting on Monday. That was like giving the fox the key to the hen-house. He'd even managed to get a bag of lemon drops to go. The Potter scion hummed merrily as he made his way to the great hall. _'Gryffindor my ass.'_ He thought cheerfully.

* * *

"Bullshit! He actually gave you detention with Moody? Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Wow. That's...that's like.."

"I know. I'm just that good."

"Harry this isn't funny! You have detention!"

Harry and Draco turned to see Hermione looking incredibly worried, sitting on Harry's right at the Gryffindor table. "He's not a nice man, he could hurt you!" The boys just snickered at that. Moody? Sure. Barty Jr.? Not a chance in hell. Hermione didn't take their laughter well, turning back to her plate with a huff. Harry looked a little surprised._ 'This is really bothering her.'_ He realized. It was probably this on top of his episode last night that had her so freaked.

Harry sighed. "He's not going to hurt me." He soothed. When she didn't look convinced he leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. "But it's sweet of you to worry. Thank you, Jeanie." Hermione turned bright red and her cheeks burned as she began to sputter. "Wha...of course I...JEANIE?"

Harry smiled softly. "You don't like it?" He asked.

"No, I do. I really do." Her voice trailed off and she was quiet for a moment before she turned to him with shining eyes. "Harry, I'm worried." She meant far more than just his upcoming detention or his midnight rambling, and they both knew it. She was scared of how much he had changed and she needed to know he was still himself.

He smiled gently. "It's all right."

"Do you promise?"

He reached out and entwined his fingers with hers. "I promise."

* * *

Severus Snape was having a very bad school year. And, unsurprisingly, it was all Potter's fault. That little brat had finally shown his true colors, revealing himself as the nasty little attention hog that Severus had always known him to be. But to Severus's shock and horror, no one was doing anything! They didn't care! Sure, most of the school avoided him on account of his acting unstable, but they were just doing exactly what he wanted! Couldn't they see he was just doing it for attention?

But no more. Severus was going to expose him. Right here in his dungeon, he was going to find proof of Potter's selfishness. Maybe he'd even get the little twit expelled. He surveyed his class, hard at work on a dreamless sleep potion, and found Potter at his usual spot next to the mudblood know-it-all. And the boy was staring. And he was smiling! People don't smile in Snape's dungeon! This was a place of sorrow and despair, not smiles! But Potter was there almost everyday, staring and smiling. That big, happy smile that haunted his dreams. Those twinkling eyes that mocked him. But this time, Severus had had enough. He was going to take the fight to the boy!

Severus leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. The boy smiled wider. He knew what he was doing! _'It doesn't matter!'_ Severus told himself. _'He can't stop me!'_ He pulled his magic behind his eyes and concentrated, growling a single word in his head. _'LEGILIMENS!'_

* * *

Potions class was quiet as usual. Potter was smiling creepily at Snape as usual. Snape was hatefully glaring at him as usual. Everything was as it should be. But not for long. A shrill scream broke the silence as Snape was flung back out of his chair and sent tumbling head over heels behind his desk. His head smacked against the wall with a meaty 'THWACK!' and he laid still.

As one, the class turned to look at Harry Potter, who was still smiling. "What?" The class stared in stunned silence as he hopped up from his desk and made his way to Snape. "Hey Snape! You still alive?" No answer. Potter blinked. "I hope he isn't dead." He said sheepishly. He reached down and checked his pulse. "Nope, not dead." He stood back up and stared down at the comatose Professor for a moment. "It occurs to me..." He trailed off and then turned to the class. "Anybody got any shampoo? This could be our only chance." It was clearly said in jest until, "Um..." The class turned to see Lavender Brown pulling a white bottle from her purse. "Here?"

The class blinked.

The class turned to Harry.

Harry grinned like a shark. "Why thank you, Lavender. That'll do just fine." He looked down at the Professor and his grin widened. "Just fine."

* * *

Severus Snape woke with a groan. His head hurt something fierce and his back ached. His clothes were damp as well. _'What happened?'_ The last thing he remembered was trying to access Potter's mind and then...nothing. His head throbbed and reached up to massage it. Wait... _'Silk? Why is there silk on my head?'_ He gave the garment a swift tug and was rewarded with a stab of pain. _'Ow! What the hell?'_ Wait. Did he smell peaches? He looked around the now empty classroom. The were no peaches. He took his hand away from the silk and gave it a tentative sniff. Peaches.

Severus was filled with a sudden sense of dread._ 'Oh no. Oh god no.'_ He scrambled to his feet and dashed to the nearest mirror. Severus stared in horror at the glossy balck ringlets that now framed his face. "AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

* * *

In the Great Hall, Harry Potter paused his dinner and inexplicably smiled. Nobody paid any head as this wasn't exactly unusual. It did give Ron time to snatch a lemon drop from the bag Harry had sitting next to his plate. That was a mistake.

Harry turned his gaze to his friend and found him happily sucking on a candy. Harry blinked and looked down at his now open pouch, and then back at Ron. He smiled. "You really shouldn't have eaten that." Ron stopped sucking. He began to sweat. "Ron?" Hermione asked with concern. "Are you all right?" Ron let out a pitiful whine as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he slumped face first into his mashed potatoes. "Oh my god, Ron!" Hermione gasped. Harry raised an unconcerned eyebrow. "Relax. It's just an overpowered sleeping potion." Hermione frowned at him. "Still, you shouldn't do things like that to him." Harry shrugged. "Do you think it's possible to drown in mashed potatoes?" He mused aloud.

"Harry!"

* * *

Harry stood in front of a covered mirror. He took a moment to check out the room with a sober eye. It was plain. A simple room, maybe ten feet by twelve feet. There were bunches of candles on the floor in each corner. They cast a flickering light on the walls of the room. The Mirror of Erised stood before him, cloaked from his view.

He reached up with a steady hand and pulled back the cover. He stared at his hearts desire. Ever so slowly he raised his hand and pressed it against the glass. They smiled at him, giving him permission.

He spoke.

"_Frango._"

The mirror fractured beneath his hand, a spiderweb of cracks appearing on it's surface. His desire disappeared and the mirror shattered. He stood still for a moment, admiring the silence. He sighed and turned, slipping out of the room. As the door closed behind him the candles were snuffed out with a whisper, leaving behind a dark room with an empty frame and a pile of broken glass.

* * *

_**Frango **_**: Shatter**

**Okay! Chapter 3 done! I hope you guys liked it. I know there might have been some spelling and grammar mistakes, if you see any, just let me know and I'll fix 'em. Alright. Hermione's nick-name is a nod to her middle name. Jean. I know it might be Jane, but I've always preferred Jean, so I changed it. Yes, I can do that, I'm the author. The song is 'Change' by Black Stone Cherry. Great band. You might recognize it from the game 'Sleeping Dogs.' In other news, like I said at the top, I have started another HP fic. I just couldn't help it. It's called _Wild Magic_ and I should have the first chapter up in a week or so. Unfortunately this means I'll have less time to work on this. I'll do my best to get you guys Chapter 4 by the end of August. So, as always, please review! They are my lifeblood as a fanfiction author and they inspire me! If you have advice or criticisms or questions, go ahead and drop a review. Let me know how you're liking it!  
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**This is xZarkko, signing off! _"Who the hell do you think I am!" _**

**__Edit 8/8/13: Bad news. I'm having a severe lack of inspiration for this story. I'm not abandoning it or anything, but don't expect another chapter for awhile. Sorry guys. **


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